A Long Journey
by Marzipan19
Summary: A story about Moiraine before her journey to the Tower, from discovering she can channel to, hopefully, her arrival. PG is a safety net.
1. A Discovery

_ This is an idea that I had a while ago and I wrote something on it, but after reading New Spring I realized how terribly off canon I was. So, this is my do over. It's still about Moiraine but more about before she goes to the Tower, leaving the Sun Palace and the Journey there. I hope you like it enough to review, or hate it enough to review.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own The Wheel of Time or any of it's characters, Robert Jordan does. Lucky guy._  
  
A young woman, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, sat at her window seat, looking out in to the gray gardens of the Sun Palace. The rain disturbed the otherwise tranquil waters of the pond that her father had had made when she was born. She let out a deep sigh and plucked at her dark skirts slashed with colour. The day was heavy on Moiraine Damodred's shoulders.

She stepped down from the bench and walked across her chambers to the fire that had gone out. She sighed again, it had grown cold after the fire had faded but lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed until now. I should call a servant, she thought, but really, a servant should already be here. Clicking her tongue in vexation she reached for the poker hoping to see if any of the ashes were still glowing. The gentle motion of her hand calmed her and she closed her eyes absentmindedly. In that moment she felt happy and vibrant. The first smile her face had seen all day spread across her small mouth. Moiraine opened her eyes to a small fire alive in the coals of the old.

"I suppose it wasn't as dead as I thought." She said aloud to herself. She used the tools to coax the small fire into a merry blaze and warmed her hands.

Moiraine wandered lazily over to her large vanity sitting opposite her window. Sitting one the cushioned seat she stared at her refection. Sitting as she was one wouldn't be able to tell that she was short, compared to most people, but for her native Cairhien she was a respectable height. Of course her tower of curls added to that height a considerable amount. Her dark, dark eyes looked out from her small face and upon the small blue teardrop jewel hanging from her hair onto her forehead. She shook her head from side to side, making her curls bounce around her head. The melancholy mood had settled over the young noble again. She poked and prodded the various boxes of jewelry around her and opened and closed the shallow bottle with the fair face powder in it.

Her skirts rustled when Moiraine stood up to and moved toward the book shelf that was beside the fire. She drew her finger over the volumes of prose before deciding on an old favourite, a tome of love stories and adventure. She took the book over to the window seat hoping to waste away the dreary day in fantasies of brave warriors, beautiful ladies, corrupt kings, and powerful Aes Sedai. No sooner had she opened the book then the door from her anteroom swung open admitting a tall, fair woman.

"Has Wenia Sedai been here to see you, girl?" Said Teila Tomnas, striding into Moiraine's private chambers. The woman was nearly a head and a half taller than Moiraine, but she was Andoran so it was quite normal. Teila had a manly figure as far as Moiraine was concerned, and her hard and wide mouth added to her manly appearance. Carefully and quickly stepping down from her bench Moiraine curtsied deep for the woman.

"No, Teila Sedai, I believe she is still in the countryside, as she has been for the past week. Why ever do you ask?" Moiraine said rising to her feet. This was highly unusual, as Aes Sedai walking into our rooms demanding to know if one of her sisters had seen you. Teila's serene, ageless face flickered for a moment upon hearing Moiraine's reply.

"How strange..." Teila said quite under her breath, probably assuming Moiraine could not hear her. "Come here, child." She said, louder this time. "Come here and sit down." Moiraine complied, crossing the room and sitting in the arm chair opposite the one Teila had taken in front of the fireplace. The stern woman looked Moiraine over for sometime without speaking. Teila blinked and something told Moiraine that she had begun to channel. The two sat in silence for a few moments, Moiraine beginning to feel increasingly awkward. Suddenly Moiraine felt something, a stirring inside her. Teila eyes snapped open.

"Well, I've always thought there was something about you, girl." She said folding her hand satisfyingly in on her dark blue lap. "You, child, were born with the ability to channel and I believe you have already touched the source. More than once maybe."

Moiraine felt like the sun had come bursting forth from the clouds. She could channel. She could become Aes Sedai! She opened her mouth to say something, but found she could only stammer unintelligibly.

"You have great potential, my girl, and with your utmost dedication you could become one of the greatest Aes Sedai in many years. I must ask, but I fear you that if you say no I may make you agree, but would you come train at the White Tower?" Teila said, her face as warm as Moiraine had ever seen it.

Moiraine fund her words, "Yes." She said.


	2. Preperations

_ Here is Chapter 2! Thanks to Lily Mara for the review in French! Or should I say: Merci, pour le revue en Francis! (J'espere c'est correct!)  
Anyway, this is Chapter 2. Disclaimer: The Wheel of Time and all of its characters are property of Robert Jordan._  
  
"Congratulations, Moiraine. I'm sure your father is very pleased, as I am sure your mother would have been." King Laman said to a curtsying Moiraine. He was sitting in his private rooms discussing taxation with some of his advisors before Teila had brought Moiraine into to him. He sat lazily, one of his legs crossed over the other; he was absentmindedly thumbing on the buttons on his coat sleeves.  
"He is very pleased, My Lord Uncle." Moiraine said rising to her feet. She kept her eyes downcast in front of the man who was king of all of Cairhien. She was not fond of her uncle, as he was cruel and his head was swollen with being king. Also, she did not like the edge in his voice when he mentioned her mother. There had been no solace in tone, even though her mother had dies many years ago, he still had never said a true word of comfort to her.  
"When do you intend to take her to the White Tower, Teila Sedai?" Laman said looking to the Aes Sedai standing to Moiraine's right.  
"Me, My Lord? I can't take her, nor can Wenia. No, she shall make that trip on her own and she shall make it as soon as it is possible for her to leave." Teila said.  
"Of course, I shall make the arrangements for her to travel with a small guard within the next week. I would not want to inconvenience you, Aes Sedai." Even Laman did not think highly enough of himself to order an Aes Sedai about. "But before you can leave the Palace, my dear niece, we must give you a ball befitting of the honour you have brought to House Damodred." He smiled at her, fondly. Yes, her honour would do him very nicely.  
  
The preparations would begin right away and by the time Moiraine reached her rooms, Mara, her maid, had a long list of appointments that must be made and kept to prepare Moiraine not only for the Ball but her trip as well. She and Mara chattered about ball gowns and hairstyles and new divided traveling dresses. Moiraine let herself get excited about the Ball, she was rather fond of parties but nothing could me more exciting than the events that would take place after the Ball. She was going to Tar Valon, to the White Tower. The White Tower was the center of knowledge and the most powerful place in the world. Rulers of all import bowed to the women of the Tower for they were more learned then many others. Aes Sedai were calm and wisdom made flesh. And she, Moiraine Damodred, would be one of them... one day.  
"I could always have the seamstress make both of the dresses and you could choose after, My Lady." Mara said after she had explained the proposed designs for the ball gown to Moiraine.  
"Yes, that would be good, Mara, and make sure that she doesn't do too much embroidery. Reminder my good seamstress of that last dress she did for the Lady Alane." Moiraine said and Mara winked at her. The dress had been a complete disaster and Alane had refused to come out of her chambers for days. Covered from head to foot with deep scarlet embroidery, over top of her rank colours, had made the lady look like a painting that had been attacked by mould. Seamstress and Lady had agreed to burn the dress rather than pick the stitching.  
"As far as the riding dresses are concerned I believe that you will only need three. You will be riding in a carriage until you reach the River Erinin, and then you will be sailing. I think...three divided dresses, and at least seven normal dresses, two of which should be appropriate for court, as you must look presentable when you stay with some of the lesser nobles." Mara said quickly writing as she spoke.  
"Five riding dresses and one appropriate for court." Moiraine said. "I don't think I'll need them when I get to the Tower." _The Tower_, she thought happily.  
"Four riding dresses and two court dresses."  
"Five riding dresses and one court dress." Moiraine said firmly. "Exactly that. No more, no less." Mara opened her mouth to speak again but stopped as she wrote down the new order on a different paper.  
  
Moiraine stood looking up at her shelves of books. There were so many that there was simply no way she could take even half of them. The tower has one of the largest libraries in all the world. Surely they would have all of her favourites as well. She began to turn away from the shelves but stopped when her eyes caught one tome that she simply could not leave behind.  
"It will give me something to read while I'm on the river." Moiraine said allowed to herself. Moiraine tucked _Fires of Love_ away into her trunk. She placed a her diary over the book when a knock came on the door. She moved into her sitting room so she could see the person when she told them to enter.  
"Come in," She called.  
A liveried servant came in and bowed to Moiraine. "Your Lord Father requests your company, my Lady."


	3. The Night Before

_Disclaimer: The Wheel of Time and all related media are property of Robert Jordan, not me._  
  
Moiraine's skirts swished as she mounted the steps to the raised platform at the head of the great hall in the Sun Palace. There was the sound of loud, but polite, clapping in the large room. The room's design was made so that the sounds inside it would be magnified all the way up to the high, angular, vaulted ceilings.

Moiraine turned to look at the hundreds of nobles, dignitaries, and others deemed important enough to come to the ball in her hounor. She knew few of them personally and there were a few with whom she had never spoken before. But, of course, with an event of this magnitude the guest list was more about The Great Game of Houses than it was about Moiraine's friends celebrating with her.

Looking out into the crowd Moiraine could read the crowd like a children's book. The presences of some and the absence of others marked the moods of the Cairhien court. Laman's allies were standing in the front of the crowd. As were her father and Moiraine's closets friends. It mustn't look too much like strategic placement. The presence of Lord Maense was a surprise. He was a well known opponent of King Laman's current plans for settling the Foregate yet he stood amongst the highest members of the court. Moiraine looked right of Maense and saw an uneasy looking Lord Tharne. Maense's current position, then, was a quiet threat to Tharne. If Laman was willing to accept a man with whom he disagreed often what would stop him from riding himself of a man with whom he had known all his life.

Behind the two men stood Lady Cairen, a few rows back. The look on her face said that she read the situation easily and was seeing how she could benefit. _She won't get anywhere at all if she doesn't learn how to mask her face. She couldn't look more devious if she had a knife poised over Tharne's back. _

The clapping ceased and a hush fell over the hall. The king came out of a small door to the right of the stage. He came and stood behind Moiraine with a hand on her shoulder.

"We are here tonight to celebrate in hounor of my beautiful niece, Moiraine Damodred, about whom it was discovered just last week than she will become Aes Sedai. Tomorrow Moiraine will begin her journey to Tar Valon and The White Tower, and then to becoming an Aes Sedai. We hope sincerely, little niece, that you do not forget your home or your family when you can manipulate the very weaving of the Pattern." Laman said smiling at Moiraine. The jab was blatant. Laman did not hate Aes Sedai but they certainly weren't his favourite people either. Unless her eyes were cheated Moiraine could have sworn his eyes flickered in the direction of the Throne Room. He need have no fear that Moiraine would return to the Sun Palace to manipulate his throne, unless of course it was necessary. No, Moiraine wanted to go other places when she became Aes Sedai and back to Cairhien was not on the top of her list.

"I thank you, You Majesty, for your kind words. And I thank all those assembled here for your good wishes and your presences on the eve of my journey." A servant came and proffered a golden goblet on a silver tray to Moiraine. "Now let us raise our glasses to the glory of the Sun Throne and the hounor of the White Tower." Moiraine recited the words that had been given to her that morning. For now, her part was done and the dancing and eating would begin.

A long table had been set on the stage. A chair , more of a miniature throne really, that was glided was set in the middle of the table and to the right of it was set a chair also gilded and carved in the angular planes of Cairhienin style; that chair was Moiraine's place and the one to it's left, King Laman's. Moiraine walked around the table and stood by the chair once a servant pulled it out for her. Her father had now come up from the audience and was standing in front of his chair on the left side of the King's place. None of them would sit until the King had, of course.

The meal went past without much incidence. Moiraine chatted idly with Lady Halnie about the journey and Halnie went on at length about the villager that worked on one of her estates who had gone to the Tower. Apparently, she had been much too weak to even reach Accepted but had become the most obedient kitchen hand Halnie had ever encountered. Moiraine feigned interest but began to become bored. She liked Halnie but the woman could make the shortest story last all evening.

After the feast had finished the dancing would begin. Moiraine was rather partial to dancing herself and was quite excite by the time the dishes had been cleared away. Moiraine glided down to the square in the hall where tables had been cleared.

The first dance would be hers and she chose her father to dance with. It was a modest, slow song without any words. However, it did have words that only three people knew about. Moiraine's father sang the words he and Moiraine's mother had written for the song when Moiraine was born.

"Your mother would be very proud to see you tonight. Her little baby, a young woman on her way to becoming an Aes Sedai. She often wished she had had the ability. When we were young she would talk about how she would become Aes Sedai and bond me as her pacifist Warder. Little good I would have done her, a Warder that would refuse to fight and just wanted to shut himself up and learn. Unless, of course, the fighting would have been to save her. Then, I would have fought to the death." He said.

"But mother would have wanted you to learn. She would have gone into the Brown Ajah so you could learn together." Moiraine said laying her head on her father's shoulder.

"Aye, she would have." His voice was far and dreamy lost in the wistful memories of his long dead wife. She had died when Moiraine was still very young and her father had taken on the responsibility of raising her properly and turning Moiraine into the woman her mother would have wanted her to be.

By the time the song was ending the floor had filled with other dancers all performing the steps in prefect time with each other and the music. The last note played out and the dancers bowed and curtsied to each other. A more lively song began and some people left the floor and others changed partners. Moiraine's father bowed to her and retreated from the dance floor. He wasn't much for dancing.

Moiraine turned to go back to the tables herself when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Moiraine, you wouldn't leave without dancing with me, would you?" Lucon Rie, a tall young man for Cairhien stood with his head cocked to the side looking at Moiraine with a hint of mischief in his eyes. He was very pretty with dark eyes like deep,bottomless pools and black hair that had a slightly unruly curl. Lucon and Moiraine had known each other since they were 10 years old and Moiraine had always thought that they would marry. That was, until now.

"You haven't been to see me in quite some time, Swan." Lucon said as he walked Moiraine through the doors at the back of that hall. After dancing for sometime and making an appropriate exit the two young people had decided to escape to the quiet of the night. They were walking in the gardens that were below Moiraine's bedroom window.

"You haven't been to see me either." Moiraine replied. They were silent for a few moments. Moiraine could tell Lucon was trying not to become upset for he knew that Moiraine had been avoiding him with purpose. After she realized that she would be leaving him behind she had tried her best to put him out of mind and thought that avoiding him would be the simplest way to do that. She also knew that he had been several times to see her but she had told the servants not to let him in. And he knew that too.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have accosted you tonight. If you don't feel anything anymore than I should not bother you." Lucon said. "I just want you to know that there will always be a very special place in my heart for you, whatever happens-"

"Lucon, don't be silly. You know I care for you, but...but I'm going. And Aes Sedai rarely marry...and...I....I don't want to forget you...but I have so little choice." Moiraine began to feel that peculiar feeling in the back of her throat, the one that meant she was going to cry.

She sat down on a bench that was positioned along the path and turned her back to him. Moiraine didn't like people seeing her cry, it didn't matter who it was. With her hands over her eyes she couldn't see Lucon eyes welling up with tears but she could hear his footfalls as he came and sat on the bench. He put his arms around her from behind.

"You won't forget me, Moiraine Damodred, because I won't forget you." Lucon whispered as he turned her body to face his. "I love you, Moiraine."

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Lucon would die just seven months after Moiraine reached the Tower in a hunting accident that would see a stray arrow through his heart, but they didn't know that now as their lips touched each others lips in the moonlight.


End file.
